The owner of a local bar and arcade has been advocating for a change in state liquor laws for years, saying that the current system is outdated and gives an advantage to out-of-state corporations.
Currently, cities in Idaho are limited to a number of licenses based on their population. As any economics freshman could tell you, limited supply increases costs, and the going rate for a liquor license is at least $300,000 in Boise.
Even when the holder of a liquor license wants to sell their license, potential new business owners must have planned more than a decade in advance. It’s common for folks who want to open a bar to wait years on a list for a chance to snap up a new license as it becomes available with a city’s growth.
Will Hay is the co-owner of Spacebar Arcade, and in seven years of waiting on that list, his application for a license has gone from 96th to 85th.
“It just seems very odd to me that I can open a can of gin and tonic and pour it into a glass for you, but I can’t have a bottle of gin and a bottle of tonic and pour it into a glass for you. It seems like we’re splitting hairs to keep a[n] antiquated system going and keep certain people happy.”
But if you went to Spacebar last year, you might be wondering: How were they serving alcohol? Spacebar currently serves canned cocktails, wine, and beer, but obtained the lease on a license last year. The license owner pulled the plug in January of this year for a different business, and Spacebar is back to square one — or square 85.
